Thirteen

Once again, I'm stuck updating while Niqi gimps around...

Out in the main room, Therali was holding one of the dossiers. The rest of Raven's Nest were gathered around the bat god. "The Thirteenth has been located." He said. "We'll need a larger party than the ones we've been sending against the others; we've picked up demon energy near his location. Massive amounts of it. And also... something else. Some sort of dimensional rift."
Fisnal, the blue-furred tiger and god of knowledge, nodded. "I haven't seen anything like this since the First Divine War, when a demon lord appeared through a rip in time and nearly cost us our victory."
"So it's a time traveler?" Niqi asked.
"It seems that way." Therali replied. "And a fairly powerful one, at that. We don't know who or what it is, but we do know that it hasn't come through yet."
Glide headed back into his and Icarcti's room, returning with his swords strapped to his back and Icarcti's belt in his paw. He handed it to the little bat. "Let's get movin', guys. Don't wanna keep 'em waiting."
Icarcti nodded, swinging the belt around his hips.
"Dominique, Micah, you'll come with us." Glide stated. "Therali, Shetani, we'll need you two, as well."
Therali grabbed his scythe. "On to the Great Arena, then."
Niqi looked to the bat god. "Where's the Great Arena?"
"It's on Kahl." Therali replied. "The perfect place for demons to gather without being found."

...

When the team arrived on Kahl, thick black clouds were gathered in the sky. Rain was pouring down, causing fur and clothing to stick to bodies. Lightning flashed high above, threatening to strike anyone that drew their weapons.
Glide led the way, Icarcti beside him. A shield of flame protected the Varixian and the bat from the pouring rain. "I can't get a lock on Caan's scent!" Glide called to the others over the howling wind. "It seems like it's everywhere!"
Micah nodded, using one of his wings to protect Niqi from the rain. "It's the water..." He murmured. "We'll have to find some other way to locate the Great Arena."

...

After nearly an hour of trudging their way through the mud and muck beneath their feet, the group located the Great Arena, one of the only buildings that survived the war between the bats and humans that left the planet deserted. Eager to get out of the rain, they took shelter within, under the enormous glass ceiling of the building.
Waiting for them in the Arena was Madison Caan, a greatsword strapped to his back. The rat was chanting in a strange language, his eyes pure white.
Glide let down his flame shield, the lightning from above becoming the only source of light. Eighteen pairs of red eyes already stared at them from the darkness at the opposite side of the arena, more appearing as Caan continued chanting.
Shetani caught Caan's attention with a barked command, the Vari word summoning her twin-headed halberd.
Caan's chanting immediately stopped, though he had already summoned a dozen more demons. His eyes returned to their normal blue color as he drew his greatsword.
"Take 'em down!" Glide snarled. "Hurry, before whatever it is shows up!"
Icarcti hopped back, lowering his goggles over his eyes. The room appeared to light up, revealing Caan and the thirty demons. The demon his gaze was fixed upon became surrounded by a red box, information about it scrolling down in front of the bat's eyes. A grin spread across his face as he noticed one particular line; 'weakness - ice'. He muttered a quick spell, needles of ice appearing in his paws. After taking a few seconds to line up his shot, the goggles assisting him, he sent the needles sailing through the air, each one piercing the demon's flesh and exiting through its back. It dropped to the ground, clearly dead. So that's why they're heavy...
Micah charged forward, cleaver at the ready. His attack was deflected by Caan's greatsword, though the rat was taken by surprise when the angel wolf delivered a stiff kick to the side of his head, knocking him to the ground.
Therali sank a fang into his paw, squeezing his blood onto the blade of his scythe to release its seal. Once the weapon had transformed, the bat god launched himself into the fray, Shetani by his side. The two deities were met in the center of the Arena by the group of demons.
Before any more blood could be spilled, a rift opened within the Arena. A figure stepped through, ten demons immediately falling, sliced cleanly in half. Everything was still for quite some time.
A bolt of lightning cut through the sky, illuminating the figure; a wolf. He was tall and thin, his otherwise pitch black fur broken by patches of orange along his back, arms and face. The right side of his face bore a pair of cross-shaped scars, both directly beneath his crimson eye. In his paws, he held a long, single-edged sword. A pair of circular saw blades were attached to the front of his severely torn jacket. "My name is Alysteir." He said, a quick flick of his wrist splattering the ground with the blood that was on his weapon. "And I'm an angel." Another bright flash of lightning revealed a pair of transparent, blue-feathered wings on the wolf's back. "I'm from the future. I came back to help set things right."
Caan leapt at the wolf boy, swinging his greatsword, though the weapon's blade was shattered by Alysteir's fist. "I'm out of your league." The wolf stated, grabbing the rat by his muzzle. "Back off!" He snapped, tossing the rat aside.
The remaining demons surrounded the wolf boy, each taking wild swings at him with its claws, meeting only air as Alysteir ducked and weaved out of the way skillfully, raking his own claws across eyes and throats whenever the opportunity presented itself. Soon, nineteen more demons joined those that had died when the wolf had first come through.
Another flash of lightning illuminated the action. Through all the red Niqi caught a glimpse of the black and orange fur of the angel-wolf, blurred together with movement.
A memory hit her with enough force that she actually took a step backward.
Micah took the bucket, holding it over his head and upending it. As the water dumped over him, his fur color changed, going from black to orange. "And that is why I don't go swimming in the ocean while I've got a glamour working."
Niqi's eyebrows rose again, and then she laughed. "Awesome. We make Halloween."
"No," Niqi mouthed, one of her paws automatically going to her stomach. "It can't..."
The wolf boy looked over at Niqi, his eyes widening. "... Wow, you're my..."
Niqi shook her head. "No. Glide already went back and saw himself get born. It can't...you can't..." She stopped. "You're there, and in here," she said, pointing to her stomach, "at the same time? My..." She swallowed. "Son?"
Alysteir nodded. "I... I think so..." He caught Caan with one paw as the rat attempted to charge him, throwing him over his shoulder. "Do you mind? Family reunion here!"
Niqi wrinkled her nose slightly. "I named you Alysteir?" She laughed quietly.
"Hey, I like my name." Alysteir replied. "At least you didn't name me Engelbert."
Niqi laughed again, and then stepped forward. She took the paw from her stomach and laid it on Alysteir's cheek, looking at him with an expression of wonder. "My son...Alysteir..." She paused, and then grinned wryly. "How quickly they grow up, huh?"
"Oh, you're hilarious, mother dear." Alysteir muttered.
Niqi looked around, to Micah. "This is your son, too," she said, the same wonder as before in her voice. Something occurred to her, then. "Did you know this was going to happen?" she asked. Another second and a lightning flash better showed his profoundly confused expression; that pretty much answered her question.
Micah shook his head. "I had no idea he would be powerful enough to do this..."
"How much did you know?" Niqi asked.
"Just that our son would play a pivotal role in the battles to come." Micah replied, shrugging. "I didn't realize he'd actually be fighting."
Niqi frowned. "But he found it necessary to come back to here, back to now...and..." She turned to Alysteir, suddenly terrified. "Why? What is your future like?"
Alysteir went silent for a long moment, his expression grim. Finally, he spoke. "... They won."
It was quiet. Yet another lightning strike lit up the inside; everything was eerily still. Dead bodies lay unmoving, and the living, although standing, appeared as motionless as they were. The slow rumbles of thunder broke up the silence.
Niqi swallowed. "You need to tell us everything."

...